Despite the unexpected confusion caused by the doljanchi, the celebration continued.
“Hahaha!”
“Your Excellency! Have a drink!”
“Your Excellency, another drink!”
Those attending the feast exchanged cups, laughing and enjoying their time together.
“It is truly wonderful to see my nephew so bright and clever!” The Crown Prince praised, and Prince Chungnyeong responded with a smile.
“My wife says that every time she hears me reading, she laughs.”
“Hahaha! You are indeed blessed with talent!”
“Seeing an outstanding child is a great fortune. Chungnyeong, congratulations.”
“Thank you, brother.”
While the brothers exchanged kind words, Hyang was nestled in the Crown Prince's arms.
This was after she had touched the Crown Prince's earring.
As she remained in his embrace, Hyang continued her daydreams.
“Since the Korean script will be created anyway, it would be good to sneak in some ideas early. If I can come out around the mid-term of the regime instead of the latter half, my influence will expand. After that, I can take care of the officials…”
As Hyang was lost in her own plans, drowsiness suddenly washed over her, and she grumbled inwardly.
“Ugh, this pathetic stamina! With such poor strength, I barely made it through three years and then ended up dead!”
Unaware that her body was that of a child who had just turned one, Hyang continued to grumble.
Meanwhile, a subtle discord began to arise among the Crown Prince and his brothers, as the doljanchi was slowly coming to an end.
The guests were fidgeting in their seats, but they were only watching the Crown Prince for cues.
“Gentlemen, how about we take our leave now? We must rise early for court tomorrow, do we not?”
“Your Highness, you should return to the palace as well, should you not?”
“I still have some matters to discuss with my brothers. You may leave first.”
“Well then…”
At the Crown Prince's suggestion, the guests began to bid their farewells and leave one by one.
“It feels a bit stifling.”
Once the guests— even Hyang's maternal grandfather and grandmother— had left, the Crown Prince, feeling the heat from the alcohol, loosened the ties of his robe.
After loosening the ties of his outer robe and even the inner jacket, Chungnyeong immediately intervened.
“Brother, please fix your attire.”
“What’s the problem? A person should be comfortable.”
“You are the foundation of this nation. Do not forget this.”
“Puhuh~.”
With Chungnyeong's admonition, the Crown Prince let out a sigh mixed with the effects of the alcohol and adjusted his clothing.
Chungnyeong bowed his head in gratitude at the Crown Prince's compliance.
“Thank you for listening to this foolish younger brother, brother.”
As he poured more wine into his cup, the Crown Prince spoke to Chungnyeong.
“Chungnyeong.”
“Yes, brother.”
“I once told our mother that you are not an ordinary person. At your age, your academic achievements are beyond that of common folk, are they not? This foolish elder brother cannot even gauge your level.”
“You flatter me. It is simply that you have not been close to the classics. If you put in a little effort, you will soon surpass my humble achievements.”
The Crown Prince seemed pleased with Chungnyeong's response and burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! Chungnyeong, you have a knack for flattery!”
“It is not flattery. If you only approached the classics a bit more…”
“Chungnyeong, do you also advocate for virtue and benevolent governance?”
“Is that not the right path?”
The Crown Prince shook his head at Chungnyeong's answer.
“That is merely an ideal. Our Joseon, as well as the Ming, are currently in an era of hegemony. When I ascend to the throne, I will recover the lost territories of the ancient Three Han and make Joseon a great nation.”
“Brother!”
Chungnyeong, alarmed, cautioned him, but the Crown Prince was confident.
“Do not worry. When I ascend the throne, I will surely achieve great things.”
Chungnyeong continued to challenge him.
“Brother, that is reckless! The Ming is a great nation! With Joseon's current strength, defeat is certain! Do not forget why King Taejo had to retreat at Wihwa-do, or why our father had to eliminate Jeong Dojeon!”
“Are you a prince of the Ming?”
“No! I am saying that with Joseon's current capabilities, it is impossible! We must build our strength!”
At Chungnyeong's insistence, the Crown Prince lightly raised his right hand in response.
“Ah, I know that point. I do not intend to launch a great undertaking immediately. I see ten years as a preparation period.”
“Ten years is too short!”
“Ten years is enough! The brilliant generals who served Zhu Yuanzhang have mostly disappeared due to Zhu's purges and old age, and even the remaining generals have vanished due to the civil wars initiated by the current emperor, Yongle. The generals nurtured by Yongle have also been lost to civil wars and conquests. Thus! I say again, ten years is enough!”
Frustrated by the Crown Prince's response, Chungnyeong suddenly stood up.
“Damn it! Brother!
Do you have any thoughts at all? Do you not remember how many troops Yongle mobilized to eliminate the remnants of the Yuan after he ascended to the throne? Fifty thousand, fifty thousand!
And it was not just one campaign; every time he launched an expedition, thousands or even tens of thousands were killed or injured, yet he continued to fill the ranks with fifty thousand! Mobilizing such forces is terrifying, but what is even scarier is the administrative and supply systems that made such mobilization possible! But what about our Joseon?
We have not even properly conducted a household census, and the land survey has not even begun! And you think ten years is enough?
Wake up!”
“You fool! One year for the land survey and one year for the census is enough! And considering our father's reign, by the time I inherit the throne in ten years, all those esteemed generals of the Ming will be gone!”
“Have you not considered that the mid-level officers who gained experience through the campaigns will fill the positions of those old generals? If you think about when they will step back, we need at least thirty years! That is assuming the next emperor of the Ming does not start a war!”
Before long, the Crown Prince and Chungnyeong were in a heated argument, nearly coming to blows.
As the atmosphere grew tense, Hyo-ryeong quickly stepped back while holding Hyang, letting out a sigh as she emptied her teacup.
“Phew~. Blood ties cannot be deceived… Who would have thought they were the children of military commanders…”
As Hyo-ryeong lamented, the argument between the Crown Prince and Chungnyeong reached its climax.
“When the army is organized, the first priority must be to deal with private soldiers and the Japanese pirates! We must secure our backs first!”
“The private soldiers have already been dealt with by our father! The Japanese pirates have been quiet lately! But even more troublesome than them are the Jurchens! If we think about the future, we must deal with the Jurchens first!”
“So, the private soldiers are gone? I am saying that dealing with private soldiers and the Japanese pirates is the priority!”
“Shut up! I am the Crown Prince! I acknowledge that you are clever! But the one who will inherit the throne is not you, but me! You just need to assist me!”
“…”
At the Crown Prince's outburst, Chungnyeong gritted his teeth and glared at him.
Meanwhile, Hyang, nestled in Hyo-ryeong's arms, watched the situation with wide eyes, observing the subtle emotions on Chungnyeong's face.
Seeing the delicate emotions on Chungnyeong's face, Hyang felt a cold sweat trickle down her back.
“Is this man not being pushed into becoming king?”
In her previous life, the commonly known theory was this:
- Chungnyeong became king because Yangnyeong was of poor conduct, and Hyo-ryeong was deeply immersed in Buddhism, thus Chungnyeong had no choice but to become king, which turned out to be a ‘divine move.’
With this common knowledge in mind, Hyang was shocked by Chungnyeong's subtle expression.
As she looked at Chungnyeong's face, it felt as if she could hear the OST of a famous historical drama playing in her head.
“Damn! Was this not a fusion historical drama but a traditional one? Surely, my rebirth is not causing a butterfly effect that alters history?”
Though worries piled up, Hyang's body, having just turned one, could not withstand the fatigue.
Struggling to keep her eyes open, she grumbled.
“Ugh! This damn body! Pathetic stamina!”
Unbeknownst to her, the competition between Yangnyeong and Chungnyeong was gradually surfacing.
Two months after Hyang's doljanchi, in December. (Unbeknownst to Hyang) Chungnyeong visited Namjae's house with several others.
As the gathering continued, Namjae praised Chungnyeong's profound scholarship and spoke as follows.
“Back when His Majesty was in the palace, I encouraged him to study, and he said, ‘A mere prince has no place to participate, so what use is there in studying?’ I replied, ‘Who is to say that the son of a king cannot become a king?’ Now, seeing the Grand Prince's love for learning, my heart is filled with joy.”
This was indeed a significant statement.
Though Namjae did not explain the meaning behind his words, the content and his position ensured that this message reached King Taejong.
However, upon hearing it, Taejong merely laughed and said, “That old man is exaggerating.”
While Taejong laughed it off, the competition among those pushing for the next heir, Crown Prince Yangnyeong and Chungnyeong, began to accelerate.
The decisive cause of this competition was Taejong's ambiguous handling of the situation.
While he officially recognized the eldest son, Yangnyeong, as the Crown Prince, he continued to show interest and praise for Chungnyeong.
“Look at Chungnyeong!”
Whenever reports came in that Crown Prince Yangnyeong was neglecting his studies, Taejong would mention Chungnyeong, urging the Crown Prince.
Once, unable to bear the comparison, the Crown Prince criticized Chungnyeong in a private meeting with Taejong.
“Chungnyeong is not brave!”
In response to the Crown Prince's rebuttal, Taejong openly countered.
“Though he may seem lacking in bravery, when it comes to great matters, there is no one in this age who can compare with him in making decisive judgments.”
In addition to this evaluation, Chungnyeong also displayed benevolence by caring for the people's hardships, making him Yangnyeong's strongest competitor.
Though Taejong was the one who sparked this fierce competition, he continued to recognize Yangnyeong as the Crown Prince.
Ultimately, whether it was Taejong's intention or the voluntary actions of officials wanting to prevent another ‘prince's rebellion,’ the leader of those supporting Chungnyeong, Sim On, received a warning from Park Eun.
“Prince Chungnyeong is virtuous and has the hearts of the people, so you must be cautious and know how to conduct yourself.”
Though Park Eun issued the warning, Sim On ignored it and did not convey it to Chungnyeong.
Eventually, after much patience, Park Eun decided to visit Chungnyeong's residence directly.
That day's incident was also something Hyang remembered.
Though she was still a child who had just turned one and spent more than half the day sleeping, the commotion outside was enough to wake her.
“Sir Sim! Do you have any thoughts at all?”
“Haha. Sir Park, it is not that…”
“Sir Sim, this cannot continue! Are you thinking of experiencing the bloody tragedy that occurred during King Taejo's reign again?”
“Surely that cannot be the case?”
“Then what do you call the behavior I see now! Step aside! I must see the Grand Prince!”
“I simply forgot last time. I will certainly convey it this time. Let’s leave it at that for today.”
“Listen here, Sir Sim!”
“Alright, let’s leave it at that for today.”
Though she could not see, only hearing the voices made Hyang realize the situation had become serious.
“Is this really going to be a problem?”
“Phew~.”
After pushing Park Eun out the gate, Sim On let out a long sigh.
For a while, he stared at Park Eun's retreating figure with a stern expression before turning away.
“After all, it is a situation of riding a tiger.”
Sim On muttered to himself with a resolute voice.
The current Crown Prince, Yangnyeong, was not lacking in ability.
However, he had many disqualifying factors in terms of conduct.
Though there was the second son, Hyo-ryeong, it was well-known that he had no interest in the throne.
Eliminating those options, the only one left as the legitimate heir to the current monarch was his son-in-law, Chungnyeong.
“For the future of Joseon, only Prince Chungnyeong is the answer!”
Having made up his mind, Sim On pushed for Chungnyeong to become the Crown Prince.
It was a life-risking gamble, but Sim On believed there was a chance of success.
This was due to Taejong's lukewarm response.
As the forces supporting him grew, Sim On's confidence strengthened.
“Though His Majesty dislikes the in-laws, if the Grand Prince becomes the Crown Prince, everything will be resolved! The Grand Prince can simply bide his time until he ascends the throne!”
And on the day the Grand Prince ascended to the throne, he would rise to a position just below the king, as the father-in-law of the king, the maternal grandfather of the Crown Prince, and the greatest contributor.
End of Chapter 4: Who is My Father? (2)